Means for operating reverse-levers of engines.



1 PATENTED MAY 12 J. E. SMITH MEANS FOR OPERATING REVERSE LEVEES 0P ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY31,1907.

more fully appear mechanism.

"iesrnnr environ.

COVERT B, SMITH, OF FREEPORT, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pstented May 12, 1908.

Application filed May 31, 1907. Serial No. 376,518.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, tovnn'r Snrrn, citizen ol the United States, residing at li'reeport, in the county of Harrison end Stete of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful inn provements in Means for Operating Reverse- Levers oi Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates certziin. new i and useful improvements in reversing; mechanisni for engines, and the present invention relates more particularly to on improved means or mechanism for operating levers of engines, the object of the invention being to provide such a niechonism that the engine man or driver may sit erect and watch the signals of the troinnien or the like and keep his hand on the steam lever and the some time, reverse his engine any number of times without movingiiis posi ion. in the present embodiment of the in ention as ilh il'tttkl, the mechanism ofiny invention is shown as actuated by a. slight movement of the operators ankle or ioot, but it is to be understood that various other means may be employed to accomplish the iurpose for which this 111-- vention designed.

ll ith this and other objects in view will as the description procoeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and cmnbinutions oi the parts that i. shall herein-utter fully describe and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

For it lull understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for reflecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved operating mechanism for the reverse lover of on engine, parts being shown in section, and l? ig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the valve and like parts are referred and indicated by the some Ger-responding to in the following description in all the views of the drawings reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1. designates the reversing lever oi' on engine of any type, a design the reversing link connected to the valve rod 1) and eccentric rods 0, and r1 designates the ordinary rocket orin iulcrumed on any fixed support as at c, ind connected by links to the reversing link a the engine men or operator.

' 1i). "understood that one plug is always and lever 1, res actively. These parts are conventionally s iown on a reduced scale for purposes of illustration only.

4; designates the support for the main 0persting device of my invention, the ssid support being, for instance, the floor of a locomotive cu b, or the platform of a hoisting onnine, or 111 fact a support of any character whatever, 1tbeing understood that the reversing lever 1. PIOJGCl'S upwardly from the support and is adapted to be manipulated by My invention, is designed, as above indicated, to sctuato this reverse lever by other means than the direct application of the engine mans hand thereto, and aims to do away entirely with the necessity of grasping the hand lever 01' reversing lever 1, so that the engine mons hands will be free for any other purpose. In

order to effect this result, I provide a piston rod 5 which may be guided in any suitable manner and which is provided with a pin 5 scconnnoduted by :i longitudinal slot 1 Formed in the reversing lever 1.

6 designates the head of the piston rod, or piston, said piston. 6 being mounted Within a cylinder 7. This cylinder is provided at its ends with inlet ports 8, S and complemontel exhaust ports 9, Inlet cocks 10, 10 are screwed or otherwise secured in the respective inlet ports 8, 8. 13 and 14 designate respective y the turning plugs of said cocks. A rod 15 is connected at one end to the stem of the plug 13 to turn therewith, and the other end mounted in it non-circular socket 16 formed in the adjacent end of the other plug 14. The plugs 1'3 and 14 are set at right angles to each other as regards their ports, that is, one plug, is always closed when the other is open.

Exhaust cocks 17, 17 are screwed or otherwise secured in the respective exhaust orts 9,9 of the cylinder 7, and. 18 and-19 r esignote respectively the turning plugs of sand cocks. 'lheso lugs are also connected by a rod, designeted QO, said rod being rigidly secured to the stem of the plug 18, with one end 'littiug in the socket 21 of the opposite plug Relative to these cocks also it is to be 7 closed when the other is 0 mood. The plugs" are connected for siinu ton'eous actuation by mcuns of cranks 22 that are formed as integral ports of, or suitably connected to the plugs 13 and 18 and that are both connected to an actuating rod 23. This rod may extend upwardly through the floor or other support 4, the upper end of said rod being connected to a foot treadle 24 fulcrumed intermediate of its ends on the support 4'; or to any form of actuating lever or means for.

raisin and lowering the rod23.

In t e practical operation of my improved mechanism for 0 erating'the reverse lever of en ines," it is to be understood that the cylin er 7 may be en plied wlth steam or air or any other motive uid, by means of pipes 11 connected to ti'ieinlet cocks 10, 10 and to a common supply pipe 12 in turn connected to any suitable source of sup ly, (not shown). By rocking the foot pedal 24 or otherwise raising or, lowering the actuating rod 23, it is obvious that the motive ower may be" permitted to flow in one end of the cylinder or the other so as to actuate the piston in the direction it is desired to turn or swin the reverse lever 1. As the plugs 13 and 14 and exhaust plugs 18 and 19 are arranged with their ports at ri ht angles, it is obvious that theexhaust coc 17 will be open when the inlet cock 10 is opened, and the cocks 10 and 17 will be closed at this time. With such adjustmen't of the parts the piston 6 will travel to the right of the cylinder as shown in the illustration. The reversal of this movement I is obvious and needs nofurther explanation.

From the foregoing description 1n connection with the accompanying drawings, it is obvious that I have provided a very simple, durable and eflicient construction of means for operating the reverse lever of engines of any type, it being possible for the engmeman to keep his hanc on the steam lever and re verse the engine repeatedly without moving his position at all. He may therefore sit erect and watch the signals of his trainmen or other assistants, an when a foot treadle is employed asithe main actuating device for the apparatus, it is obvious that the engineers hands may ,be employed in diversified ways without the necessity of asping the lever l to reverse the motion 0 the engine. If desired, the quadrant catch or detent 2 may be held free from. the quadrant as b a loop slipped over the handle, or by any ot ler means.

While 1 have shown the mechanism as aplied' to the usual hand operated reversing iiever 1, it is obvious that it may be adapted to either of the working parts of a reversing mechanism, and it is also evident that the in vention may operate the reversing mechanism even if the hand lever 1 be entirely dispensed with.

It is obvious that by extending the piston rod 5 to the link motion, the lever 1 as well the quadrant 3 may be dispensed with.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: f

1. Means for actuating the reversing mcchanism for engines comprising a cylinder, a iston mounted in said cylinder, the cylinder being provided in its ends with inlet and exhaust ports, inlet and exhaust cocks secured in said inlet and exhaust ports and provided with plugs or valves, a connection between the plugs of the inlet cocks, the said plugs being connected with their ports at right angles to each other, a similar. connection and arrangement between the valves or plugs of the exhaust cocks, means for simultaneously actuating the inletcocks and the exhaust cocks, and a connection between said piston and a portion of the reversing mechanism of an engine. 2. The combination with the reverse lever of an engine, of a'cylinder, a piston mounted in said cylinder, an operative connection between said lever and said piston, the cylinder being provided in its ends with inlet and exhaust ports, inlet and exhaust cocks secured in said inlet and exhaust ports and provided with plugs or valves, a connection between the plugs of the inlet cocks, the said lugs being connected with their ports at right angles to each other, a similar connection and arrangement between the valves or plugs of the exhaust cocks, and means for simultaneously actuating the inlet cocks and the exhaust cocks. Y

3. The combination with the reverse lever of an engine, of a cylinder, a piston mounted in said cylinder and provided at its ends with inlet ports and exhaust ports, a piston mounted to travel in said cylinder, an operativc connection between said piston and the reverse lever, inlet cocks secured in the inlet ports and provided with plugs, arranged with their ports at right angles to each other, exhaust cocks secured in the exhaust ports of the cylinder, and provided with plugs or valves that are arranged with their portsjat right angles to each other, a conn e:-.tion between the plugs of the inlet cocks, a connection between the plugs of the exhaust cocks, cranks extending from the plug of one inlet cock to the plug of one exhaust cock, an

actuating rod connected to both of said cocks, and means for moving said rod.

4. The combination with thereverse lever of an engine, of a c linder, a piston mounted in said cylinder am provided at its ends with inlet ports and exhaust ports, apiston mounted to travel in said cylinder, an operative connection between said piston and the reverse lever, inlet cocks secured in the inlet ports and provided with plugs, arranged with their ports at right angles to each other, ex-- haust cocks secured in the exhaustports of the cylinder, and provided with plugs .or valves that are arranged with their ports at right angles to each other, a connection b0 twcen the plugs of the inlet cocks, at connection between the plugs of the exhaust cocks, cranks extending lroin the plug of one inlet ti'esdle is pivots sen 132 as cock to the plug of one exhaust cock, an &c right angles to each other, the plug of tucting rod connected to both of said cranks one inlet cock being provided with a socket s foot treedle connected to said actuating and the plug of one exhaust cock being prol'QCl, and a supoort upon which said foot vided with a socket, rods mounted at oneend lly mounted. of the respective sockets and connected at 5. The combination with the reverse lever l their opposite ends, respectively, to the plugs of an engine, of a cylinder provided with inlet l of the opposite cocks, and a connectionbeports and exhaust ports, pistons mounted to tween said two last named plugs, said contravel in said cylinder, an operative connecnections consisting of an actuating rod, and tion between said piston and the reverse le means for moving said rod ,ver, inlet cocks secured'in the inlet ports and In testimony whereof I sfilx my signature provided with plugs arranged with their rein presence of two witnesses. spective ports at right angles to each other, COVERT B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

exhaust cocks secured in the exhaust ports of the cylinder and provided with plugs D. M. STARKEY, that are also arranged with their ports at J. F. MGMATH. 

